Big "Incoming/First Rolex" on Birthday (and watch review)

[daOnlyBG]

Here is (officially) my first Rolex that I will keep forever. I temporarily had another GMT (by accident), but never with the intention to keep. It will likely go on sale.

I had been waiting for over a year for one, but when I was on vacation, I visited an AD that quite a few people on the forums are familiar with (there was a thread about them not long ago) and worked with them to procure one in about 2-2.5 months.

Well, said AD showed up, sending me this beauty in time for my birthday. (note: yes, I did screw down the crown, don't worry)



The old and the new:





Review:

1. People say to never hold a loupe to your Rolex; you'll only be disappointed. I couldn't disagree more. Like I did with my previous GMT, I held a 15x loupe to the dial and it was impeccably perfect. The consistency behind every letter is absolute, and each hour marker is aligned perfectly. On that note:
   
2. GMT hand: there is a lot of criticism over the paint on the GMT hand being "off," or of poor quality. Not so here. The paint is downright perfect. The paint goes all the way up to the GMT triangle, and ends with a subtle dome perturbing slightly into the triangle. I can't find any explanation for this beyond Rolex's tight quality control.
   
3. The ceramic bezel: look, perhaps under certain light and through a camera, there's a very subtle purple tint. Otherwise, I don't see it. The blue is close to a Navy blue hue, and the red literally looks like hemoglobin red. The border where the two colors meet is crisp and defined, though under a loupe, you can see a subtle haze separating the two sections. Naturally, around the numbers on the red side of the bezel, you can see a little darker red/blue-ish tint- I'm guessing that has to do with the physical characteristics of the ceramic mix.
   
4. Yes, the case is a little thicker than previous GMTs, and yes, the jubilee bracelet is a little heavier (a natural consequence of solid jubilee links). I've decided to man up and enjoy it for what it is.
   
5. The lume is fantastic. When charged, yes, it shines bright. By morning time, after a full night's sleep, it's a lot dimmer- but still shows the time in darkness. Would I like a watch that would shine brighter in the morning? Maybe- but at the end (well, beginning, pun not intended) of the day, it still shows the time.
   
6. I used to bemoan the fact that the GMT came with a jubilee rather than an oyster bracelet. All that goes out the window once it's on your wrist. I do intend to some day acquire an oyster bracelet that I can throw on it, but in the interim, whatever. It's so well made that you just end up marveling at it.
   
7. I don't know what else to say beside the fact that it's an amazing watch. I don't think I could ask for a better one on the market now. The Daytonas are nice and provide a different form of functionality, and I think it's a little difficult to compare them in the same context- but that aside, this one will serve as the bedrock of my collection. I just can't stop staring at it.

p.s.- apologies to my wife, for whom I have not dedicated as much attention toward as much as this watch since I've received it.